Refuse gathering machine

ABSTRACT

A refuse gathering machine having an open bottom, horizontal housing and an upwardly extending discharge chute communicating with the interior of the housing, driven means in the housing to move refuse into the area below the chute, a rotor in the housing to throw refuse into the chute, and one or more thrower rotors in the chute for discharging refuse from the housing through the chute to an adjacent receptacle. An improved chute structure facilitates the discharge of refuse to the receptacle by causing more efficient transfer of refuse from each rotor to the rotor above it.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Herbert O. Vinyard [56] References Cited Route 2, B0! 75A. Hammond, La. 70401 UNITED STATES PATENTS [21] ApplNo 31,192 [22] Filed Apn 23,1970 3,267.655 8/1966 Werchel 214/519 X [45] Patemed July 27,197 3,348,652 10/1967 Vmyard. 214/519 X Continuation of application Ser. No. Primary Examiner--Albert J. Makay 838,990, July 3, 1969, now Patent No. Att0rneyHofgren, Wegner, Allen, Stellman & McCord 3,348,652.

ABSTRACT: A refuse gathering machine having an open bottom, horizontal housing and an upwardly extending discharge chute communicating with the interior of the housing, driven [54] 2g: MACHINE means in the housing to move refuse into the area below the g chute, a rotor in the housing to throw refuse into the chute, [52] US. Cl 198/7, and one or more thrower rotors in the chute for discharging 214/519, 56/364 refuse from the housing through the chute to an adjacent [51 Int. Cl ..B65g 65/06 receptacle. An improved chute structure facilitates the [50] 214/519- discharge of refuse to the receptacle by causing more efficient transfer of refuse from each rotor to the rotor above it.

PATENTED M27197! 3.595363 SHEET 1 OF 3 aha he; g.

20 c/ FIG. 2.

.15 J60 7 fPa J INVENTOR.

ATTOPA/E Y5.

REFUSE GATHERING MACHINE CROSSREFERENCES This is a continuation of my copending application Ser. No. 838,990 filed July 3, 1969 and entitled Refuse Gathering Machine and discloses an improvement upon the refuse gathering machine of my U.S. Pat. 3,348,652.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION I. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mobile machine for picking-up refuse, such as manure, regardless of its moisture content, from the ground or other surfaces, such as barn floors or concrete feed lots, so as to clean such surfaces and deposit the picked up refuse in a wheeled receptacle. More particularly, this invention relates to such a machine which is mounted on the front of a manure or slurry spreader and powered from the power takeoff shaft of the tractor which pulls the spreader. The tractors hydraulic system is utilized to lower the machine to ground level and to elevate the machine for travel to a refuse disposal area.

2. Description of the Prior Art Machines of this type are utilized to pick up refuse, such as animal feel lot manure, from the ground and throw it into a wheeled receptacle in which it is transported to a disposal area. Such a machine is disclosed in my above identified U.S. Pat. No. 3,348,652. Even though such machines have performed generally satisfactorily, there are certain conditions, particularly when handling dense, gummy cattle feed lot refuse, in which the refuse tends to pack in the discharge chute; or in the handling of very liquid refuse in which an undesirably large proportion of the refuse tends not to be trans- .ferred from one rotor to the next higher rotor, resulting in inefficient removal of refuse.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The principal object of the present invention is to provide a refuse gathering machine which performs in a better and more efficient manner. More particularly, this invention provides a new discharge chute structure which greatly improves the refuse throwing ability of the machine.

The refuse gathering machine made according to the invention employs a basic refuse pick up structure not materially different from that disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,348,652; although the pickup housing is of an improved shape which is especially advantageous in the area occupied by the housing rotor, for reasons which will be described. Also, the discharge chute is moved to a position alongside the longitudinal line of the tractor p.t.o. shaft so as not to interfere with the drive connection of a flail type spreader or a slurry spreader. The improvement disclosed herein relates to the structure of the discharge chute though which refuse is discharged into a spreader container.

In the present structure the discharge chute is positioned vertically above the thrower rotor in the housing, and the chute is defined by a pair of parallel sidewalls, a front wall and a rear wall, with the lower end portions of the latter two walls merging into the pickup housing. The chute contains one or more thrower rotors which are positioned vertically above the thrower rotor in the housing, and the radially extending blades of the rotors move upwardly adjacent the front of the housing or chute, as the case may be, and downwardly adjacent the rear of the chute or housing; The tips of the rotor blades define a cylinder of rotation as the rotors are driven.

The front wall of the chute has a portion adjacent an upper rotor which is formed in the shape of a segment of a cylinder with the bottom of the segment in a plane which is close to the bottom of the cylinder of rotation of said upper rotor and with the top of the segment in a plane close to the plane of the top of the cylinder of rotation of said rotor.

The front wall below said upper portion joins the cylindrical segment along a line which is spaced rearwardly from the most forward point on the upper portion. As a result, refuse which is thrown upwardly by the blades of the housing rotor is thrown into the path of the blades of the first chute rotor in an area well to the rear of the most forward part of the cylinder of rotation described by the blades of the first chute rotor. Also, the housing wall ahead of the housing rotor is curved rearwardly beneath the forward part of the rotor so as to hold highly liquid refuse on the rotor blades.

Ideally, the portion of the front wall of the chute which directs refuse from any rotor into the rotor next above it is in a plane which is an extension of a radius through the axis of rotation of the receiving rotor, so that said wall portion directs material discharged by the lower rotor as far as possible toward the roots of the blades of the receiving rotor and thus in a position where the refuse does not tend to be flung off the ends of the blades against the front wall of the chute where it surrounds the receiving rotor.

The rear wall of the chute is a straight vertical wall, so that the refuse which is not discharged by the uppermost rotor into the spreader container may fall back through the rotor blades to be recycled from the housing rotor.

The upper end portion of the rear chute wall is curved slightly forward so that it inhibits buildup of long, fibrous material such as straw around the top edge of the wall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a plan view of a first embodiment of the refuse gathering machine of the present invention, mounted upon a flail-type manure spreader;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the refuse gathering machine illustrated in FIG. 1 with parts in section;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the refuse gathering machine shown in FIG. 1, with parts in section;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken generally along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken generally along the line 5 5 of FIG. 3 and shows the drive mechanism of the refuse gathering machine of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 4, illustrating a second embodiment of this invention mounted upon a slurry spreader.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 generally designates the refuse gathering machine of the present invention which is connected to a mobile manure spreader 12 by spaced, parallel arms 14. The mobile manure spreader 12 is of the flail type first disclosed in Elwick U.S. Pat. No. 2,886,332 and includes a cylindrical container generally designated 16 which is supported on ground engaging wheels 18. The container 16 has a front wall 20 with an opening 22 therein.

The machine and spreader are adapted to be pulled by a tractor (not shown) through a yoke 26 which is connected to a structural frame 28 which is secured to the front ends 30 of the arms 14. The machine can be raised and lowered relative to the ground by a hydraulic cylinder mechanism 32 secured to the yoke 26 and the frame 28 which will be described in greater detail hereinafter. The front end of the yoke 26 is connected to a drawbar 34 of a tractor by a pin 36 which is prevented from bouncing out of the yoke by a spring loaded latch member 38.

The machine 10 is seen to comprise a horizontal transversely elongated housing, generally designated 42, having an arcuate wall 44 with a front bottom which is open to provide a refuse inlet 46, and a discharge opening 47 which is offset to one side of the center of the housing and communicates with an upwardly extending enclosed discharge chute 48. Refuse is picked-up in the housing 42 through opening 46 and thrown through the chute 48 into the container 16 through the opening 22 with which the chute communicates.

The opposite ends of the housing 42 are provided with end plates 50 in which are joumaled the end portions of a rotary conveyor shaft 52.

The rotary conveyor shaft 52 is provided with left and righthand conveyor screw portions 54 and 56, respectively, which extend from adjacent the end plates 50 and transport refuse taken in through opening 46 to an area 58 which is directly beneath the chute 48.

In the area 58 of the housing 42 is a housing thrower rotor, generally designated 62, which is mounted on the shaft 52. The rotor 62 is provided with a plurality of radial blades 64 which are disposed on the shaft 52 with a lagging angle, or negative rake angle, with respect to the direction of rotation. As best seen in FIG. 4, the tips of the blades 64 have their outer free edges disposed so as to pass the curved portions 66 and 68 of the housing with wiping tolerance, so as to hold highly liquid refuse on the blades as previously described; and thrower rotor 62 throws refuse gathered in the area 58 upward into the chute 48.

The chute 48 has two substantially vertical side walls 72, a front wall generally designated 74, and a back wall 76. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the front wall 74 includes a bottom portion 78 which is integral with the housing 42 and an upper portion 80.

The end portions of a shaft 82 are joumaled in the two sidewalls 72 behind the upper portion 80 of the front wall, and mounted on shaft 82 above thrower rotor 62 in the chute 48 is another thrower rotor, generally designated 84. The chute rotor 84 is also provided with a plurality of radial blades 86 which are disposed on the shaft 82 with a lagging angle with respect to the direction of rotation.

The upper part of chute 48 is provided with a discharge outlet 88 which communicates with container 16 through opening 22. Thrower rotor 84 takes the refuse thrown into the chute 48 from the housing thrower rotor 62 and further throws it through the discharge outlet 88 into the container 16.

When rotors 62 and 84 are rotating, each defines a cylinder of rotation. The housing rotor 62 defines a smaller cylinder of rotation than does the chute rotor 84. The upper portion 80 of the front will 74 extends from a lower horizontal plane [h which is close to the bottom of the cylinder of rotation defined by rotor 84 to an upper horizontal plane uh which is close to the top of the cylinder of rotation. The lower portion 78 of the front wall 74, with the exception of portion 66, extends upwardly generally perpendicular to a horizontal plane through the shaft 52. The upper and lower portions 80 and 78, respectively, intersect each other at line 90. Line 90 is to the rear of the most forward point of portion 80.

The rear wall 76 of the chute 48 is substantially vertical for allowing refuse not thrown into the container 16 to drop to the bottom of the chute for recycling by the rotors. At the top of the rear wall 76 near its upper edge there is provided a forwardly curved portion 92 to inhibit clinging of long fibers around the edge.

The spreader 12 is seen in FIGS. 1 2 to include a rotor assembly, indicated generally at 96, with a shaft 98 which is joumaled in the front wall and in a rear wall (not shown) substantially on the longitudinal axis of the container 16, and fixed on the shaft is a tubular rotor 100. Two rows of radially extending bosses 102 and 104 carry flexible flails 106 which are capable of winding around the tubular rotor 100 and extending gradually as material is flung from the container when the shaft is driven.

Closely adjacent the front end wall 20 and the rear end wall (not shown) of the container 16 are end hinged opener flail assemblies 108 of the type disclosed and claimed in Ferris US. Pat. No. 3,414,199.

The tractor power is transmitted to the machine by an input assembly including generally a stub shaft 118, and a shaft 120 which is connected through a first universal joint 122 to the shaft 118 and through a second universaljoint 124 to the input shaft 126 of a speed reducing gear assembly 128. The stub shaft 118 may be connected to the output shaft of a tractor power takeoff by any conventional drive link.

Turning now to FIG. 5, the speed reducing gear assembly 128 has two output shafts 130 and 132 (see FIG. 3). Output shaft 130 drives a flail power train generally designated 134 which is connected to the spreader rotor shaft 98. Output shaft 132 drives a housing power train generally designated 136 (FIG. 2) and a chute power train generally designated 138. The housing power train 136 transmits power to drive the rotary conveyor shaft 52 which carries the rotary conveyor screws 54 and 56 and thrower rotor 62. The chute power train 138 transmits power to drive shift 82 which turns rotor 84.

The flail power train 134 is seen to comprise a sprocket wheel 140 keyed on rotor shaft 98, a sprocket 142 joumaled on the shaft 130 and an endless sprocket chain 144 trained about said sprockets. A clutch member 146 on the shaft 130 is adapted to engage a clutch member 148 on the sprocket wheel 140; and a linkage 150 is provided for engaging and disengaging the clutch members.

The chute power train 138 employs a sprocket 152 on the shaft 132, a sprocket on the chute thrower rotor shaft 82, and an endless sprocket chain 156 trained about said sprockets.

The housing power train 136 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) includes an intermediate drive shaft 164 which is connected to output shaft 132 by means of a universal joint 166, a sprocket 158 keyed to said intermediate shaft, a sprocket 160 pinned to the rotary conveyor shaft 52, and a drive chain trained around the sprockets 158 and 160.

It is apparent that if desired a second clutch assembly may be interposed between the output shaft 132, the sprocket 152 and the intermediate shaft 164 so that the refuse gathering machine may be idle when the spreader is in operation.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the hydraulic assembly 32 includes a hydraulic cylinder 168 which is pivoted at 170 in a bracket on top of the chute 48, and a piston rod 172, the outer end of which is pivotally connected to spaced parallel links 174 adjacent their upper ends. The lower ends of the links 174 are connected by a pin 176 to a strut 178 that extends upwardly from a sleeve 180 which is seen in FIG. 6 to be joumaled on a crossbar 182 that is connected at its opposite ends to the parallel arms 14. The upper end of strut 178 is welded to an inclined brace 179. As best seen in FIG. 3, the parallel arms 14 are rigidly bolted to brackets 184 on the spreader 12.

When the hydraulic assembly 32 is actuated by fluid being pumped through fluid lines 186 to extend the piston rod 172 the links 174 pivot in a clockwise direction about the pin 176 and thus rotate the sleeve 180 counterclockwise about the cross bar 182 to tilt the front of the spreader upwardly about the wheels 18 and thus raise the refuse gathering machine from the ground. When this is done, of course, the yoke 26 is angled upwardly from its connection with the tractor draw bar Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown another form of refuse gathering machine, indicated generally at 210, which is identical to the machine described hereinabove and shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 of the drawings except that it has a chute 248 provided with two thrower rotors, generally designated 284a and 284b, located within the upper part of the chute. The chute is also modified so that it has two enlarged forwardly convex upper portions 280a and 280b.

In the modified structure the discharge chute 248 is positioned vertically above the thrower rotor 262 and the housing 242 and the chute is defined by a pair of parallel sidewalls 272, a front wall 274 and a rear wall 276 with the lower end portions of the latter two walls merging into the pickup housing. The two chute thrower rotors 284a and 284b are positioned vertically above the thrower rotor 262 in the housing, and the radially extending blades 64 of the rotors move upwardly adjacent the front of the housing or the chute, as the case may be, and downwardly adjacent the rear of the chute or housing.

The tips of the rotor blades define cylinders of rotation as the rotors are driven.

Each upper portion 280a and 28Gb of the front wall 274 of the chute 248 is formed in the shape of a segment ofa cylinder with the bottoms of the segments in planes which are close to the bottoms of the cylinders of rotation of the respective upper rotors 284a and 284b and with the tops of the segments inplanes close to the planes of the tops of the cylinders of rotation of the rotors.

The bottom portion 278 of the front wall 274 joins the bot tom chute cylindrical segment 2801; along a line which is spaced rearwardly from the most forward point on the portion 28%. As a result, refuse which is thrown upwardly by the blades of the housing rotor 262 is thrown into the path of the blades of the lower chute rotor 284i: in an area well to the rear of the most forward part of the cylinder of rotation described by the blades 64 of the lower chute rotor.

The upper part 280s of the portion 280b of the front wall, which intersects the lower end of the portion 280a, is substantially planar and is in a plane which is an extension of a radius through the axis of rotation of the rotor 284a so that said upper part directs material discharged by the lower rotor as far as possible toward the roots of the blades 64 of the receiving rotor and thus in a position where the refuse does not tend to be flung off the ends of the blades against the front wall of the chute where it surrounds the receiving rotor.

The rear wall 276 of the chute is a straight vertical wall, so that refuse which is not discharged by the uppermost rotor into the spreader container may fall back through the rotor blades to be recycled from the housing rotor.

The upper end portion 292 of the rear chute wall 276 is curved slightly forward so that it inhibits buildup of long, fibrous material such as straw around the top edge of the wall.

Both chute thrower rotor shafts 282a and 28211 in the upper part of the structure of FIG. 6 are provided with appropriate sprocket wheel-chain power trains generally designated 338a and 338b to rotate the rotors 284a and 284b. The blades 64 are identical with the blades described in the earlier modification and the tips of the blades of the rotors just clear each other and are disposed with lagging angles with respect to the direction of rotation. The tips of the blades are also disposed so as to wipe and just clear the front interior surface of the chute. There are generally four blades on each thrower rotor and they are timed to turn at the same speed and for the blade tips to pass at a point just after material is unloaded from the lower rotor. With the shape of the chute in both embodiments of the invention, the rotor blades have a wiping tolerance on their forward or throwing side and are so arranged on the rear side as to allow unthrown material free passage to the thrower disposed therebelow so as to be thrown again.

in operation, after the housing 42 has been lowered to the ground by means of the hydraulic mechanism 32 and the power takeoff shaft of the tractor being in rotation, the rotary conveyor shaft 52 is rotated by the tractor p.t.o. as the spreader 12 is drawn forward. While the tractor is moving, material on the ground is pushed into the inlet opening 46 of the housing 42 past a rubber flap 65 and a hinged plate 67, allowing the material to come into contact with the conveyor screw portions 54 and 56 and the housing rotor 62. The screw portions move the material into the area 58 from opposite sides, where the blades 64 of rotor 62 throw the material up into chute 48 where the blades 64 of chute thrower 84 engage the material to move it around the arc defined by the upper portion of the front wall 80 for discharge through opening 88 into the container 16.

The modification of the invention illustrated in FIG. 6 operates the same way except there is the upper thrower rotor 284a in the upper portion of the chute.

The form of the invention illustrated in FIG. 6 is shown mounted on the front of a slurry spreader, generally designated 212 of the type which is used to spread liquid containing a fairly high percentage of suspended solids. Such a spreader may be filled substantially to the top, since it is basically a cylindrical liquid tank, and accordingly, the opening 222 through which refuse is discharged into the spreader is at the extreme top of the front wall 220.

As seen in FIG. 6, the spreader includes an auger 296 which extends longitudinally at the bottom of the tank and has an auger shaft 298 the end portions of which are journaled in the front wall 220 and rear wall (not shown) of the spreader tank 216, with the front of the auger shaft 298 projecting a suffi cient distance to be provided with a spreader power train 234 by which the auger 296 may be rotated in the same way the flail carrying rotor of a flail-type spreader is rotated. A clutch is provided to permit selective drive of the auger only when material is to be discharged by the spreader (as shown in FIG. 5).

As is well known to those skilled in the art, the rear wall (not shown) of the slurry spreader has a discharge opening aligned with the auger and controlled by a pivoted shuttertype valve and behind the rear end wall of the spreader container 216 are one or more driven spinners which may rotate either on a horizontal axis or on a vertical axis and which function to fling the slurry in a pattern of substantial width.

No more detailed description of the spreader is believed to be necessary, since it is no part of the present invention and is a common type of spreader used in the handling of liquid materials for agricultural purposes.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom, as modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

lclaim:

1. in a machine for gathering refuse and discharging it into a wheeled receptacle, said machine including a transversely elongated housing having a refuse receiving opening in its front lower portion, a refuse discharge opening in its upper portion, and driven means in the housing for moving refuse laterally to a position beneath the discharge opening, an upwardly extending enclosed discharge chute having a pair of generally upright side walls and generally transverse front and rear walls connecting said sidewalls, the chute having a lower opening by which it communicates directly with the interior of the housing through the discharge opening and an upper opening through which refuse may pass into a receptacle adjacent the housing, and a plurality of spaced cooperating driven thrower rotors mounted on generally transversely extending horizontal shafts for discharging refuse from the housing through the chute, there being one rotor in the housing and at least one receiving rotor in the chute each of which has a plurality of generally radial blades the tips of which define a cylinder of rotation, in improved discharge chute structure comprising:

a first portion of the front wall forming a segment of a transverse cylinder around at least the lower part of a first rotor in the chute; and

a second and lower portion of the front wall adjacent a lower rotor intersecting said segment along a transverse line which is to the rear of the most forward point of said first portion.

2. The machine of claim 1 wherein said second portion of the front wall adjacent the line of intersection with the first portion lies substantially in a plane which passes through the shaft of said first rotor.

3. The machine of claim 1 wherein the segment of a cylinder formed by the first portion of the front wall extends from a lower horizontal plane which is close to the bottom of the cylinder of rotation defined by said first rotor to an upper horizontal plane which is close to the top of said cylinder of rotation.

4. The machine of claim] wherein the rear wall is substantially straight and includes means at its upper edge tending to inhibit clinging of long fibers around said edge.

5. The machine of claim 4 in which the means at the upper edge comprises a forwardly curved portion of the rear wall.

6. The machine of claim 1 wherein the lower rotor is the rotor in the housing and defines a smaller cylinder of rotation than does the first rotor, and wherein the second portion of the front wall extends upwardly generally perpendicular to a horizontal plane through the shaft of said rotor in the housing.

7. The machine of claim 1 which includes a second rotor in the chute above the first rotor, a third portion of the front wall above the first portion forming a segment of a transverse.

9. The machine of claim 8 wherein the segment ofa cylinder formed by the third portion of the front wall extends from a lower horizontal plane which is close to the bottom of the cylinder of rotation defined by the second rotor in the chute to an upper horizontal plane which is close to the top of said cylinder of rotation.

10. The machine of claim 9 wherein the rear wall is substantially straight and includes means at its upper edge tending to inhibit clinging of long fibers around said edge.

11. The machine of claim 1 wherein the front wall of the chute merges into the front of the housing and the lower end portion of said merged wall curves :1 short distance rearwardly concentric with the cylinder of rotation of the housing rotor and in a wiping tolerance with the blades of said rotor so as to hold highly liquid material on the blades. 

1. In a machine for gathering refuse and discharging it into a wheeled receptacle, said machine including a transversely elongated housing having a refuse receiving opening in its front lower portion, a refuse discharge opening in its upper portion, and driven means in the housing for moving refuse laterally to a position beneath the discharge opening, an upwardly extending enclosed discharge chute having a pair of generally upright side walls and generally transverse front and rear walls connecting said sidewalls, the chute having a lower opening by which it communicates directly with the interior of the housing through the discharge opening and an upper opening through which refuse may pass into a receptacle adjacent the housing, and a plurality of spaced cooperating driven thrower rotors mountEd on generally transversely extending horizontal shafts for discharging refuse from the housing through the chute, there being one rotor in the housing and at least one receiving rotor in the chute each of which has a plurality of generally radial blades the tips of which define a cylinder of rotation, in improved discharge chute structure comprising: a first portion of the front wall forming a segment of a transverse cylinder around at least the lower part of a first rotor in the chute; and a second and lower portion of the front wall adjacent a lower rotor intersecting said segment along a transverse line which is to the rear of the most forward point of said first portion.
 2. The machine of claim 1 wherein said second portion of the front wall adjacent the line of intersection with the first portion lies substantially in a plane which passes through the shaft of said first rotor.
 3. The machine of claim 1 wherein the segment of a cylinder formed by the first portion of the front wall extends from a lower horizontal plane which is close to the bottom of the cylinder of rotation defined by said first rotor to an upper horizontal plane which is close to the top of said cylinder of rotation.
 4. The machine of claim 1 wherein the rear wall is substantially straight and includes means at its upper edge tending to inhibit clinging of long fibers around said edge.
 5. The machine of claim 4 in which the means at the upper edge comprises a forwardly curved portion of the rear wall.
 6. The machine of claim 1 wherein the lower rotor is the rotor in the housing and defines a smaller cylinder of rotation than does the first rotor, and wherein the second portion of the front wall extends upwardly generally perpendicular to a horizontal plane through the shaft of said rotor in the housing.
 7. The machine of claim 1 which includes a second rotor in the chute above the first rotor, a third portion of the front wall above the first portion forming a segment of a transverse cylinder around at least the lower part of said second rotor in the chute and in which said first portion intersects the third portion along a transverse line which is substantially to the rear of the most forward point of said third portion.
 8. The machine of claim 7 in which the first portion of the front wall adjacent the line of intersection with the third portion lies in a plane which passes through the shaft of the second rotor in the chute.
 9. The machine of claim 8 wherein the segment of a cylinder formed by the third portion of the front wall extends from a lower horizontal plane which is close to the bottom of the cylinder of rotation defined by the second rotor in the chute to an upper horizontal plane which is close to the top of said cylinder of rotation.
 10. The machine of claim 9 wherein the rear wall is substantially straight and includes means at its upper edge tending to inhibit clinging of long fibers around said edge.
 11. The machine of claim 1 wherein the front wall of the chute merges into the front of the housing and the lower end portion of said merged wall curves a short distance rearwardly concentric with the cylinder of rotation of the housing rotor and in a wiping tolerance with the blades of said rotor so as to hold highly liquid material on the blades. 